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By Judex okoro, Calabar
Solidaridad West Africa, a solution-Oriented Civil Society organisation has advocated for a sustainable oil palm cultivation in Cross River State.
This, it said, could be achieved through the adoption of best management practices with the aim of preserving the state’s forest reserves.
The Programme Manager, Oil Palm Country Management Lead, Solidaridad Nigeria, Mr. Kenechukwu Onukwube, who disclosed this in Calabar at a multi stakeholders’ capacity building workshop for stakeholders in the sector, said oil palm farmers in the state can still increase their production capacity without necessarily tampering with the state forest reserve.
Speaking on the topic, “Reclaiming Sustainability In Nigeria”, Mr. Onukwube, represented by the Ernest Ita, the senior Programme Officer, said: “We can still do oil palm without necessarily getting the rainforest depleted. This is achievable through adoption of best management practices.
“Agronomic practice that is considered cost effective and also have minimal negative impact on the environment.
“We discourage farmers from pulling and cutting down remnants of Cross River State forest that is left just because they want to cultivate oil palm.
“We have taught them best management practices which if applied can improve their yield. We advocate for intensification over expansion because of the attendant danger in deforestation.
“We mentioned things like green house gas, as a result of cutting down trees. Green house gas contributes to climate change, especially global warming.
“Climate change comes with disrupted pattern and unpredicted rainfall in frequency distribution. This to some extent affect the soil moisture availability.” Onukwube maintained.
He also advocated for use of degraded forest area for cultivation of improved variety oil palm, rather than outright cutting down of trees to regenerate or expand palm oil plantations.
Earlier, Jacob Udida, the Permanent Secretary, Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources,++ charged oil palm farmers to sit up, tap from what is learnt and out it into practice.
He commended Solidaridad West Africa for showing robust interest in the state’s oil palm development, pledging that the state will continue to partner with Solidaridad to get the answers they need in the oil palm sector.
